Head frame for supporting eyeshields



Jan. 23, 1940.- R-CORNELL 2,187,932

BED FRAME FOR SUPPORTING EYESHIELDS Filed March 27, 1936 I INVENTOR 4' 5 \41 T3 LEO ROE CORNELL.

4 9 BY m 0. M

ATTORNEY Patontedhmalm UNITED STATES PATENT gOFFlCE 2,187,982 a HEAD FRAME FOR SUPPORTING Erasure ms, Leo Roe Cornell, Berkeley, Calif., au'ignor of one-' Application llsrch 27,

a cum.

My invention relates to head frames and more particularly to headgear for supporting eyeshields or goggles.

Those engaged in occupations hazardous to the Y eyes, such as welding, are required by safety regulations, aswell as by common necessity, to pro-,

tect their eyes from injury by the use of eyeshields or goggles. It is obviously important that these shields be firmly supported and held against dislodgment during the course of the work and that they be easily and readily removed from. obstructing normal vision when the wearer re-v quires. Heretofore the devices for supportingthe shields have been cumbersome in operation, particularly in that the operator must free his hands of equipment in order to place the goggles in shielding position. My invention, however, overcomes this difficulty by a novel arrangement of structure which permits the placement of the goggles in shielding position by a mere nod of the wearer's head. It is an important object of my invention, therefore, to provideimproved means for supporting eyeshields.

Other objects of my invention are: To provide a head frame .for supporting eyeshields, which is of simple construction and which can be economically manufactured; to provide in such a device means whereby the size of the frame may be varied to accommodate different head sizes; to provide in a head frame of the class described means whereby the eyeshields may be moved. from closed to retracted position or vice versa, with reference to the face of the wearer, without disturbing the normal petition of the frame on the wearer's head; to provide in such a device means for resiliently maintaining the eyeshields in either retracted or closed position, and to provide a lightweight and sturdy structure of the class described.

The invention possesses numerous additional objects and advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will become apparent upon perusal of the following description of .my invention. It is to be understood, however, that I do not limit myself to the particular species of invention, since I may adopt variant embodiments thereof within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a head frame incorporating my invention, the goggles being shown in retracted position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

a Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view similar fourth to Gerald n.

1930, Serial No. 71.241 (01. 2-4,

to Figure 2 but with the goggles in shielding or closed position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, in elevation, looking in the direction of arrow 4 of Figure 2, and illustrating the structure for varying the size '5 of the headband and strap.

In terms of broad inclusion, the apparatus of my invention comprises a headband adapted to encirclethe head of the wearer. Means is provided for normally positioning said band on the wearers head, and further means is supplied for varying the size of said band and said positioning -means, whereby difierent head sizes may be accommodated. Additional structure carried by said bandis also provided for supporting the eyeshields, whereby they may be moved from retracted to'closed position or vice versa, with respect to the face of the wearer, and means is provided for resiliently maintaining the shields in said retracted or closed positions.

.With reference to the preferred construction illustrated by the drawings, my device comprises a headband 2 adapted to encircle the head of the wearer and preferably formed of a relatively thin strip 3 of light-weight flexible material such as sheet fibre, capable of being bent into a loop or band and of readily shaping itself to the head contours to promote comfort and facilitate placement and removal. Strip 3 adjacent its opposite ends is provided with elongated apertures 4 which are adapted to fall into alignment when the strip ends are brought into overlapping relationship. In such position the ends of the strip are secured together by a clamping structure comprising a relatively thin backplate 5 carrying 85 a pair of spaced lugs or bolts 6 which are adapted to extend through the aligned apertures 4 and receive the threaded clamp nuts I. It is obvious that upon loosening the nuts 1, the size of the band 3 may be varied to accommodate various head sizes, and this by simply increasing or decreasing the amount of overlap of the strip ends, as limited by thelength of the apertures.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the particular form of clamping structure shown, since various well-known types thereof will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I

In stamping, cutting or otherwise forming the strip 3, I have found it to be of advantage to so shape the samethat when the ends thereof are brought together to form the loop or band 3 the rear portion of the band curves downwardly and outwardly as shown'in Figure 2. When so shaped,

1 the rear portion of the band is normally posilo ofslongatedapertureslsospaeedthattheluga eningoftheclampnutontho1m.'1husitis obviousthatthelength ofthecrownstra'nliks 15 the headband, may be varied within the limits of the apertures! to accommodate various head siasa Apair of parallel brackets ll, riveted or otherwisefixedly securedtooppositesidesoftheheadll band and extending tangentially therefrom,

provided, which pivotally support, on their outer ends, by means of thepivot screws ll apairof armsv If. These arms in turn are removabl! connected at their distal portions by means of 16 setscrews ll tothewings ll of apairof g BE e frames l5, each of which carries a lens or eyeshield I]. The frames II are preferably connected in such manner that they may, bemoved relative to each-other 'inorder to permit their 30 adiustment to the faceof; the. user. For this purpose I provide anaddiis'table clamp assembly I! of any well-known design, and in order to facilitate such; adjustment, I prefer ,that the supporting arms If, as well as thebrackets ll, be so formed of light-weight flexible material, for instance, sheet flbre.

I prefer that provision be made for connecting the goggle frames to the arms I! at various distances from the pivot screws I i in order to facili- 40 tate adjustment thereof relative to the face of the wearer. For such purpose, therefore, I provide a plurality of spaced apertures It in the distal portions of arms I! through which the set screws It may pass for securing the arms and frames together. i

It is highly desirable that eyeshields or goggles during protective use he maintained in close contact at all times with the face of the wearer in order to afford the maximum protection; furm thermore, that the goggles be removable fromobstructing normal vision without the necessity of disturbing the entire headgear, and also that they be restrained from uncontrolled movement in their respective closed or retracted positions.

5 My invention, therefore, includes means for resiliently maintaining the goggles in either closed or retracted position. This means preferably comprises a pair of coiled springs I! having one end thereof secured to the lugs 20 on arms I! go and the other end to the lugs 2| on brackets II.

It will be observed that the positioning of the springs on the brackets and arms is such that when the goggles are in closed position as shown in Figure 3 the spring will resiliently maintain as the same in contact with the face of the wearer,

and that when in retracted position as shown in Figure 2 the goggles will be similarly held against uncontrolled movement, with maximum retraction limited by the lugs 22 formed on brackets 70 II which provide a stop against whichthe shoulders 23 of arms I! rest.

I have found that one 'of the particular advantages of the headgear of my invention lies in the ease and simplicity with which the go gles v I maybeswungfromretractedtoclosedposition formed in a loop and adapted to encircle the head of the wearer, means connected with said loop and positioned to engage another portion of the head of the wearer whereby the band is maintained thereon in normal position, a pair of brackets projecting from said loop, an arm pivotally mounted on each bracket and movable into eachof two angular positions with respect to said brackets, a shield secured to said arms for protecting theface of the wearer, and resilient means in between said arms and said brackets for maintaining said arms in either of said positions.

2. In a device of the class described, a headband comprising a strip of flexible material I formed in a loop and adapted to encircle the head of the wearer, means connected with said 25 loop and positioned to engage another portion of the head of the wearer, a pair of brackets prolecting from said loop, an arm pivotallymounted on each bracket and movable into each of two angular positions with respect to said brackets,

a shield, carried by said arms, for protecting the face ofthe wearer, resilient means, interposed between said arms and said brackets for maintaining said arms in either of said positions, and

a stop on one of said brackets for positively flxing, in one position of said arm, the angular relationship between said arm and said bracket.

3. In a device of the class described, a strip of flexible material formed in a loop and adapted to encircle the head of the wearer, a strap secured to said loop and extending diametrically thereacross for engaging the head of the wearer, means for varying the size of said loop to accommodate different head sizes, a pair of brackets secured to and extending from said loop, an arm pivotally mounted on each of said brackets, said arms being movable into either of two angular positions with respect to said brackets, a shield, for protecting the face of the wearer, carried by said arms,

a coiled spring secured at its respective ends to a bracket and an arm for resiliently holding said arms in one of their two positions, and stops on said brackets for engaging said arms and limiting the degree of movement thereof in one direction.

4. In a device of the class described, a strip of flexible material formed in a loop and adapted to encircle the head of the wearer, a strap secured to said loop and extending diametrically thereacross for engaging the head of the wearer, means for independently adjusting the size of said loop and go the position of said strap relative to said loop to fit diflerent head sizes, a pair of brackets secured to and extending from said loop, an arm pivotally mounted on each of said brackets, said arms being movable into either of two angular positions with 5 respect to said brackets, a shield, for protecting the face of the wearer, carried by said arms,

a coiled spring secured at its respective ends to a bracket and an arm for resiliently holding said arms in one of their two positions, and stops on means for adjusting the size of said loop to fit different head sizes, a pair of brackets secured to and extending from said loop, an arm pivotally mounted on each of said brackets, said arms being movable into either of two angular positions with respect to said brackets, a shield, for protecting the face of the wearer, carried by said arms, means on said arms for adjusting the position of said shield thereon, a coiled spring secured at its respective ends to a bracket and an arm for resiliently holding said arms in one of their two positions, and stops on said brackets for engaging said arms and limiting the degree of movement thereof in one direction.

6. In a device of the class described, a headband comprising a strap 01' flexible material formed in a loop and adapted to encircle the head of the wearer, means connected with said loop and positioned to engage another portion of the head of the wearer, means for supporting on said headband a shield adapted to cover a portion of the face 0! the wearer, said shield being movable into either a closed or retracted position with respect to said face, and resilient means for maintaining said shield in each of said positions, said resilient means being of such character and so disposed as to permit said shield to be moved from said retracted to said closed position or vice versa by a nod of the wearer's head.

7. In a device of the class described, a headband adapted to engage the head of the wearer, means supported by and extending from said headband for shielding the face of the wearer, and said headband having a rear portion lying perma-'- nently in a downwardly extending plane with respect to the plane of the iront portion thereof I whereby said rear portion is capable of engaging the basal portion of the wearer's head in such manner as to counteract the tendency of the overhanging weight of the face-shielding means to disturb the normal position of the headband on the wearer's head. 7

.8. In a device in the class described, a head band adapted to engage the head of the wearer,

a strap disposed on said head band for normally positioning the same on the head 01' the wearer, 15 means supported by and extending from said head band for shielding the face of the wearer, and said head band having a rear portion lying permanently in a downwardly extending plane with respect to the plane of the front portion thereof whereby said. rear portion is capable of engaging the basal portion of the wearers head in such a manner as to counteract the tendency or the overhanging weight of the face shielding means to disturb the normal position 01' the head 25 band on the wearer's head, and a clamp associated with said head band and strap and comprising members one of which is movable relative to the other for ,adjustably clamping the head band and strap in overlappe relation with adjacent opposed surfaces of the head band and strap in contact with each other. I

LE0 001mm 

